


Toymaker

by Wallwalker



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 09:04:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3321719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony thinks he has Rhodey figured out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Toymaker

“...but you know, Rhodey, I’ve had you pegged since day one.”

“Yeah?” Rhodey grinned; Tony’s banter was always more entertaining after a couple of drinks. “You’re the expert at reading people now?”

“Eh, sometimes. I usually just leave that to Obie, he likes that kind of thing.” Tony shrugged. “But I can read you.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Read me. Tell me what makes me tick.”

“Well, you didn’t have a whole lot of money as a kid, right? I mean, correct me if I’m wrong here, but your mom was more about God than about physical things, so you didn’t get many new toys.”

“Mmm.” He held up a finger. “Right so far, right so far.”

“Well, you’re military, so you’re the kind of guy who wants to play with the toys he never got, right? Guns, planes, tanks, whatever.” Tony leaned back on the sofa, the one that cost more than Rhodey would probably make in half a year. “And I’m the toymaker.”

“Toymaker?” Rhodey repeated, trying not to laugh. “You serious?”

“’Course I am. I design this stuff. It’s what I do, it’s what my dad did... it’s just who I am.” He shrugged, waving his drink in a careless, expansive gesture over the sofa. Hell of a thing to do over something that cost so much, but Rhodey figured that money didn’t mean much to him. “I get VIP access to all of the best toys.”

“Tony... ha! Wow, Tony.” Rhodey took another drink from his cup, but not a big one that time. Something was nagging at him, something about what Tony had said, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. The drinks probably weren’t helping - was Tony making him stronger drinks because he wanted Rhodey to loosen up? Or did he always drink like this?

“Yeah, see? I got this, right?” Tony was smiling, but the nagging feeling grew stronger and stronger. “You even get to see the good stuff before it hits the market. Sounds like a good deal to me.”

“Huh.” Rhodey put the drink down, closed his eyes for a second. It was something in his tone... and then it clicked. “That’s what you think of yourself?”

“Um, well, I don’t have to think anything. This company came with the name.”

“Yeah, I get that. That’s not what I meant.” He put the drink down and looked Tony in the eyes. It wasn’t easy - he was buzzed, and that meant his balance wasn’t up to par - but it worked. “You think that’s all you’ve got for me? Toys?”

“Um. Well.” Tony cleared his throat, looked away, and basically did everything that could’ve possibly tipped an interrogator off. And Rhodey had gotten a lot of training about interrogation. “I’m sure it helps at least, right?”

“Tony. Come on. You think I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t... what? Smart, rich...” 

“...good looking?” Tony supplied, still looking away. He started to go for the bottle, but Rhodey reached out a hand, and Tony paused.

“Okay, look at me. Listen.” 

“I don’t have to look at you to listen -“

“I know,” Rhodey interrupted, “but you’d be doing me a favor. Please.”

“Okay, sure. Fine.” Tony looked up at him very deliberately, staring him down. “This work?”

“Yeah. Good enough.” Rhodey leaned towards him. “I don’t care about any of that stuff as much as I care about you, okay? If you had a scandal tomorrow, if you went broke -“

“Uh-oh. Better knock on wood -“

“- then I’d still have your back.” Rhodey talked right over him. When Tony was in this mood, sometimes that’s just what he had to do. “I’m serious. If you get in trouble, and there’s something I can do to keep you safe, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Tony looked at him for a bit longer, because he was a smartass. But he dropped the act quickly enough, raising his eyebrows and lowering his glass without pouring another. “Okay,” he said. “Great. Let’s hope I never have to hold you to that.”

“Amen to that,” Rhodey answered. “So you sure you had me pegged?”

“Well, I might’ve gotten some of the details wrong,” Tony admitted. “But I was right about the toys, right? I know I got that.”

“Well,” Rhodey said, dragging it out just for the hell of it. "Yeah, sure. Maybe a little.” 

"Called it." Tony stood up, surprisingly steady for a guy who'd been drinking so much. Rhodey was going to have to keep an eye on that. "C'mon, let me show you what I've been working on for the last week. You're gonna love it."


End file.
